Answer: length = 6 feet
Width = 3 feet
Explanation:
Let L represent the length of the pallet.
Let W represent the width of the pallet.
The shipping pallet is rectangular.
The length of a rectangular shipping pallet is 3 feet less than 3 times its width. This is expressed as
L = 3W - 3
The formula for determining the area of a rectangle is expressed as
Area = LW
Its area is 18 square feet. This is expressed as
LW = 18- - - - - - - -- - - - 1
Substituting L = 3W - 3 into equation 1, it becomes
W(3W - 3) = 18
3W² - 3W - 18 = 0
Dividing through by 3, it becomes
W² - W - 6 = 0
W² + 2W - 3W - 6 = 0
W(W + 2) - 3(W + 2) = 0
W - 3 = 0 or W + 2 = 0
W = 3 or W = - 2
Since the width cannot be negative, then W = 3
L = 3W - 3 = 3 × 3 - 3
L = 9 - 3 = 6